After the Night
by Lady Karai
Summary: A series of oneshots set after the end of The Night Within My Eyes. Proposal: Four little words that can change your life: Will you marry me?
1. Intro

**After the Night**

**Description**: A series of one-shots set after the end of "The Night Within My Eyes".

**All-Encompassing Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and the Final Fantasy games belong to Square-Enix. Yuko, Devalin, Kain, and Kel belong to me. Cera belongs to ParisWriter.

A/N: When I finished NWME, a bunch of readers clamored for a sequel. Unfortunately, I have no intention of writing one since I can't think of any plot that would be engaging enough to justify a whole new story. However, I thought some one-shots might be nice and appreciated by anyone who loved my original story. So, I'll be using this spot to post the occasional short story as it comes to me. They'll probably be mostly RikuxYuko, although I may mess around with the other Balamb/Luca people if inspiration strikes.

One last comment, while I kept NWME very clean in terms of language and sexuality (heck, even _Reno _didn't swear), I'll be abandoning that in some of these. I truly doubt the rating will ever go up to Mature since I've never in my life had the desire to write a lemon, but the veil of innocence I put over the main story is coming off. The characters are getting older, after all.

Enjoy! As always, I love comments.

-- Karai


	2. Paopu

**After the Night**

_Time: Post-Epilogue  
Description: Riku, Yuko, Sora, and Kairi relax in their favorite spot. Sora gets a great idea_  
A/N: A bunch of people chastised me for not including a paopu scene in the main story. So here's one now.

**

* * *

**

**Paopu**

It was just as Riku had imagined it would be. Better perhaps. Sitting there on his tree with Yuko curled against his side, his arm around her waist as she rested her head on his shoulder, he had never felt more at peace. Sora and Kairi were in similar positions a little farther down the trunk, and the four of them watched the sun set in silence. The beautiful orange and red ball seemed to boil as it sank into the ocean, sending restless streams of color across the waves and towards the still figures on the island.

Everything was perfect. The warm wind in his hair. The salty scent of the water, mixed with slight hints of Yuko's shampoo and the perfume he had bought her just to see if she would actually wear it. The feel of the bark under his free hand. The utter peace and complete silence.

Of course, Sora soon chose to end that. His bright eyes turned away from the sunset and scanned the other trees around them. A wide smile broke out over his face all of a sudden, and he leapt up from his seat with a definite air of purpose. Riku watched with mild interest as his best friend walked over to a tree and began to shimmy up it.

When Sora's tan fingers closed around a paopu fruit, Riku couldn't help but laugh. "Are you telling me you haven't shared one of those with Kairi _yet_, Sora?"

"Nope," Sora answered, dropping to the ground with a thump. "I was waiting for a special moment." He grinned. "Like now."

"What is that?" Yuko asked as she lifted her head from Riku's shoulder.

While Sora brought out a small knife and began cutting into the fruit, Riku explained, "It's a paopu fruit. This island has a legend that if two people share one, their destinies will forever be intertwined." He smirked a bit at Kairi who was watching Sora with interest. "I don't really believe it, but the girls love it."

"Yeah," Sora teased, "Riku's about as romantic as a day-old fish." The other boy opened his mouth to protest hotly, but his voice died when Sora shoved the small piece of fruit he had cut at him. "Here you go."

Riku blinked at the offered fruit for several moments in stunned silence. Then, he swallowed and asked, "Why are you giving it to me?" When Sora just grinned at him, he added, "I mean, you know I love you, Sora, but not like _that_."

Sora threw back his head and laughed at his friend's discomfort. "You dolt, you think I don't know that? I'm the one who practically threw you at Yuko in the Garden, remember?"

"Yes, I do, and I also remember resolving to kill you for that."

"Besides, the legend doesn't mention anything about marriage or anything like that. It just says that the people who share the paopu will have their destinies linked. So what's wrong with that?"

Riku stared at the yellowish-orange chunk in Sora's hand for a moment more before reaching out and taking it from him. Nodding, Sora whipped his knife back out and cut off another piece. But instead of taking a bite from it, he offered it to Yuko. When he said lightly, "And one for you," Riku suddenly understood what he was doing. Sure enough, he cut a third piece off and gave it to Kairi and then settled back onto the tree with the rest of the fruit in his hands.

"I thought it was only supposed to be two people," Riku commented as he regarded the piece he held.

Sora shrugged. "And I thought you didn't believe in it." When Riku made a face at him, Sora smiled and said, "Two, four, what's the difference? It's a promise, and that's the important part." He lifted his fruit to the sunset and said in a bright voice, "To friendship!"

Kairi and Yuko also raised their bits of fruit, and, after a moment, Riku did, too. The three of them chorused, "To friendship!" as Sora had done, and then all four of them took a bite together.

As Riku slowly chewed -- it tasted a bit like a peach but with more tang -- he noticed Kairi lean over to Yuko and whisper something in the other girl's ear. Yuko smiled and nodded, throwing a quick glance at Riku which caused him to raise his eyebrow at her slightly. Before he could question her, Kairi had turned to Sora and kissed him. Sora's eyes bugged out wide. Riku shook his head at him. After a whole year, he _still_ reacted like that whenever Kairi kissed him? But then Yuko's lips were on his, and he understood why Sora had been surprised.

As she kissed him, Yuko used her tongue to slide a piece of her paopu into Riku's mouth. When she pulled back with a smile, he couldn't help but smile back. Trust Kairi to turn this into something both platonic and romantic. He quickly finished chewing -- Yuko's piece now mixed with his original one -- swallowed, and took another small bite before leaning in to kiss her again. This time, he pushed the fruit into her mouth, and she took it happily, pulling back with a smile and a wink.

Sora had obviously not understood Kairi's gesture, for it wasn't until after Riku had reciprocated Yuko's kiss that he brightened with a wide smile and attacked his paopu. He leapt on Kairi and kissed her passionately until she had to push him away, laughing and choking at the same time.

As Yuko laughed at the pair of them, Riku popped the rest of his piece into his mouth and circled his arms around her waist to draw her closer to him. Laying his head down so that his cheek rested against the top of her head, he closed his eyes and listened to his friends laugh and chatter with each other. A small contented smile stole into his face as he realized that it didn't matter whether the legend was true or not. Symbolism and mysticism aside, the four of them would never be apart again.

End

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Next chapter:

Twins: The girl at the library meets two very energetic and determined young boys.


	3. Twins

**After the Night**

_Time: Post-main, pre-epilogue.  
Description: The girl at the library meets two very energetic and determined young boys._  
A/N: The pigtailed girl in FFVIII **_has no name! _**It drives me nuts. Oh well. I love Kain and Kel. I wish I could have used them more in the story proper, but I'll content myself with using them here.

* * *

**Twins**

The girl behind the checkout desk sighed softly and pulled at a pigtail nervously. So much paperwork. She didn't know where to start. She wasn't even supposed to be working this position. But with the older, more experienced employees receiving promotions and transfers left and right, that meant she had been promoted as well into a position she didn't know if she could fill. Her stomach clenched painfully as she sifted through the papers. She had to try, for the President's sake. She'd never tell _anyone_ but she had a massive crush on the man, even if he was old enough to be her father.

A pile of books crashed down on the counter in front of her, pulling her from the worrisome papers. She looked up and blinked. Two sets of identical brown eyes twinkled at her from mirror-image faces.

"Hi!" one of the faces said. "We'd like to check these out please."

Smiling, she nodded and held out her hand for the card that the speaker had waved at her. Once she had scanned it, she picked up the first book to scan it as well. Her eyes widened at the title. It was an advanced manual on agriculture. Quickly, she ran her eyes over the other books. Architecture, irrigation, engineering. All high-level subjects, far too advanced for the boys in front of her. They looked about twelve at most.

The other one was grinning at her, and now he said, "You're pretty." She jumped a bit and stared at him. Still grinning, he continued, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

A small laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "No," she answered his question, "but I think you two are too young for me, even if you read books like these."

The first boy replied, "Oh, they aren't for us. They're for our friend." His face split into a grin that was an exact copy of the other's. "Our _single_ friend." The two exchanged quick glances before he asked, "Do you like blonds?"

"Yeah," the second added before she could respond. "Not too tall but lots of muscles. Really strong." He cocked his head at her. "Do you like being protected?"

"Sure she does," the first answered for her, punching the other lightly in the arm. "All girls like being protected."

"Yuko doesn't."

"Well yeah, but Yukes is a SeeD and can kick all our butts with one hand tied behind her back."

"She'll definitely kick your butt if she hears you call her that."

"Nah, I'll tell her you did it. She can't tell us apart."

"You do that and I'll tell Reno you tried to spy on Cera while she was taking a bath."

"_I never!"_

"I know, but Reno doesn't."

"Excuse me," she interrupted them before they could start fighting in the middle of the library. Twin gazes turned to look at her and then at the pile of books she held out to them. "You're checked out and ready to go," she said in a tone that suggested they do so before they got her in trouble.

The first boy took the pile and smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry we were being loud."

"Yeah," the other agreed. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she assured them. But then they grinned again, and she couldn't help shrinking back a little.

"When do you get off?" they asked nearly in unison.

"Six."

"Okay. Bye!"

She breathed a huge sigh of relief as the doors closed behind them. Never had she met children with such energy. And identical twins. Their parents must be perpetually exhausted … if they were even still alive. She drew her breath in a bit as the thought hit her. So many children had lost families in the war. She suddenly felt sorry that she hadn't been more friendly to them. If they were checking books out like that, then they were probably part of the reconstruction efforts which meant that they very likely had no family left. She tugged on a pigtail and sighed. What wonderful hearts they must have if they could still be that happy in the face of so much sadness.

The rest of her day passed slowly. She spent her time doggedly working at the mound of paperwork, only occasionally pausing to check out books or direct someone to a particular section. By the time six rolled around, she had nearly forgotten about the vivacious twins and their questions.

Then, the front door opened, and she caught sight of two identical brown heads bobbing along, slowly approaching the front desk. The boys had their backs to her, and her breath caught when she saw why. Each had a muscled arm in a deathgrip, and together they were dragging a blond young man into the library. He wore a confused and mildly irritated expression on his handsome face as the twins tugged and pulled on him. But then, he lifted blue eyes and caught sight of her, and all his struggling stopped.

The boys pulled the newcomer straight up to her at the desk and turned to her with their matching grins. "This is Zell," one said. "He's going to take you out to dinner and then escort you home."

"Yeah," the other agreed. "And he's going to get your name and number and set up another date, too, or he's not getting those books he asked us to check out."

"Yeah. Bye!"

And they were gone, leaving her to gaze wonderingly into Zell's clear blue eyes as their twin laughter echoed away into the silence of the library.

End

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Next chapter:

The Infamous Ice Cream Incident: Yuffie just wanted some ice cream. Leon just wanted to burn her to a crisp.


	4. The Infamous Ice Cream Incident

**After the Night**

_Time: Post-main, pre-epilogue._  
_Description: Yuffie just wanted some ice cream. Leon just wanted to burn her to a crisp._

* * *

**The Infamous Ice Cream Incident**

Yuko should have known that something like this was going to happen. She had spent her entire morning in a meeting so dismal and boring that even Dev's soft smile and gentle voice couldn't soothe her annoyance. Of course, it was Dev's fault that she was there in the first place since he insisted she be a part of all the reconstruction plans. Good for morale, he had said. Riku had been there since he was now a symbol as well, but since he was an off-worlder, no one expected much out of him except his presence. His eyes had glazed over after the first hour, leaving Yuko alone to fend off the tediousness.

She had given him an earful once the stupid thing had finally concluded, going on and on about how he had abandoned her and how he could sleep on the couch from now on. Thankfully, he had understood that it was just the stress talking and had offered to make it up to her with a nice lunch in the square. That's how they had ended up sitting together on the edge of the main fountain, each finishing up an ice cream for dessert while they listened to the cascading water and the buzzing sounds of people going about their business in the newly-opened market. As she sat there, Yuko began to let herself believe that this day wouldn't be so bad after all.

She should have known better.

"**_Yuffie Kisaragi!_**"

Yuko snapped her head up at Leon's enraged roar which had occurred seconds after a large crash. Across the square, the ice cream cart where she and Riku had bought their treats was now on its side, the seller sprawled out on top of it and half of the contents splattered on the ground. The other half had splattered onto Leon. He stood there, the fury visibly boiling off of him in great waves, with what looked like strawberry, mint, and chocolate ice cream in his hair, on his jacket, and all over his leather pants, respectively.

The little ninja, who was currently receiving the most vicious deathglare on record, backed away slowly with her own ice cream clutched protectively in her hand.

"I didn't mean to do it! It was an accident! Come on, Squall, don't be so mad … _Leon_. I called you Leon, yes I did. Of course I did. But really, you know it was an accident, right? I was just trying to help. I'm really helpful, you know that. I'll even help you clean that stuff up if you want. It shouldn't be too hard to get it out. I mean it's just … leather … and pretty furry stuff … um …"

Leon's normally cool grey eyes were on fire. "I'm going to kill you," he growled at her, rather like the beast his name represented.

Yuffie forced a light laugh and continued to back away from him. With a small start, Yuko realized she was backing directly towards the two of them at the fountain. She opened her mouth to warn Riku, but before she could even inhale, several things happened in quick succession:

-- Leon threw up a hand and released a ball of fire in Yuffie's direction.

-- Yuffie said, "Eep!" and disappeared in a cloud of ninja smoke.

-- Riku cried, "Look out!" and shoved Yuko to the side.

-- The fireball sliced through the smoke and kept on going.

-- Yuko watched from the ground as the fireball slammed into Riku and knocked him backwards into the fountain.

"Get back here!" Leon yelled after the rapidly retreating black blur. Barely sparing Riku and Yuko a glance, he took off after her, gunblade in hand and murder still written into his face.

"Um yeah, that would be a 'no'," Yuffie's voice floated back in reply.

Scrambling to her feet, Yuko rushed to the edge of the fountain and plunged a hand into the water to help Riku up and back out onto the sidewalk. He sputtered and coughed for several minutes, trying to rid his lungs of the combined intrusion of smoke and water. Every so often, she heard him mutter low-voiced obscenities in reference to two certain residents of Radiant Garden, and she did her best to keep from smiling at his undeserved predicament.

Then, he lifted his head and turned it to her, small droplets of water showering her with the movement, and what she saw pulled a loud, horrified gasp from her throat.

Riku lifted an eyebrow at her in question. "What?"

Slowly, Yuko stretched out a hand and ran her fingers along the left side of his face. Parts of it had blackened, and he winced a bit at the pain, but a Potion or a Cure spell would fix that without trouble. What it couldn't fix was the fact that, when her fingers traveled to his ear and around to his neck, they met skin. Only skin.

Riku's eyes widened when he did not feel the familiar tug on his scalp that usually came when she ran her fingers through his hair. With a hint of panic, he raised his own hand to his head. His searching fingers confirmed the fear that had risen from Yuko's startled expression and subsequent actions.

Riku squeezed his eyes shut like a small child who doesn't want to see the needle in the doctor's hand. Quietly, he asked, "How bad is it?"

Trying to keep her voice steady, Yuko answered, "Not … _that_ bad … really. You'll probably have to cut the other side, though. To even it out so it doesn't look silly, you know."

"Cut it," he repeated in a dull voice.

"Yeah," she continued, feeling her heart contract in sympathy. "It should still be long enough to cover your ears. The tops of them at least."

Slowly, Riku's eyes opened again, and the bright green that Yuko loved so much had darkened considerably. He stared through her with an anger she had never before seen. "I'm going to kill them," he growled.

"Um …"

"Slowly. Painfully. I'm going to disassemble them bit by bit. Take my time. Pull out each scream to its fullest."

"Er …"

"Wow, Riku, you're a mess!"

Yuko looked up to the owner of the bright voice as she sat on a nearby overhang. Yuffie grinned cheerily at them, her chin resting on a drawn-up knee. Completely unaware of the danger she was putting herself in, she continued, "Never thought I'd ever see you so rumpled. You're such a beauty queen, you know. Whatcha wanna go take a dip in the fountain for? Your hair looks awful."

A short, powerful battle cry was the only warning Yuffie had, but it was enough for her quick reflexes to kick in. Riku's palm blasts of light missed the ninja by inches as she dove away, and they smashed harmlessly into the building behind her. Yuffie landed gracefully on the ground, took one look at Riku's enraged face and his Keyblade in his hand, and fled.

"Come back here!" Riku screamed at her back.

"Yeah, 'no' again."

Before Yuko could stop him, Riku had chased after her, blade at the ready. As the two disappeared down the street -- the people wisely parting to let them pass -- she sighed gently to herself.

It was going to be a very long day.

End

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Next chapter: 

Riku-Kitty: Yuko wants a dog. Riku doesn't.


	5. Riku Kitty

**After the Night**

_Time: Post-epilogue.  
Description: Yuko wants a dog. Riku doesn't._

* * *

**Riku-Kitty**

"Riku?"

He looked up from the letter he was writing to Sora and into Yuko's distracted eyes. She had a large smile on her face as she tipped her head to the side and tapped her chin with a finger.

"Yeah?"

"We should get a dog!"

He blinked at her. For a few moments, he waited quietly to see if she would laugh and say she was just kidding, but that look on her face told him that she most definitely wasn't. Sighing, he echoed, "A dog."

"Yeah, a big one like a labrador or a great dane."

Riku ran his eyes around their apartment. It had one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. That was it. He sighed again. "Yuko, hon, don't you think our place is a little small for a dog?" Before she could protest, he continued, "Besides, we're almost never here. We spend so much of our time hopping between Balamb and Midgar."

He watched the lines in her brow deepen at his arguments. Even though he clearly was in the right, she was getting pissed at him for being rational. Turning in his seat, he took her hands in his. With a careful smile designed to keep her from blowing up at him, he finished, "We can't get a pet right now. It wouldn't be fair to the animal."

Yuko glared at him for a long minute. Then, she stated, "You're a cat person." When he said nothing, only stared at her in surprise, she turned her back on him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmph," she grumbled. "Can't believe I'm going out with a cat person."

"W-wait a minute!" he stammered, reaching out a hand to her. "I like cats, sure, but I also like dogs. I'll be fine with getting one sometime, just not --"

She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, and the expression on her face silenced his voice. The corners of her lips had turned up into a small, devious smile. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised," she commented to herself, completely ignoring what he had just said. "You practically _are_ a cat. Those eyes, I mean, and your fluid grace. Maybe I don't need another pet after all."

Still smiling in that dangerous way, she turned around and leaned in towards him. Her golden hair fell forward, creating curtains on either side of her face that drew his gaze directly to her sparkling blue eyes. Caught up by those eyes, he didn't notice when one of her hands snaked around to the back of his head until he felt fingers at the base of his skull. He jumped at the sudden touch but then relaxed when they gently began to massage his neck muscles. It felt _good_. He hadn't realized it, but all those months of hard work had taken a definite toll on his body. Now Yuko's fingers were rubbing that tension away, and it felt _really_ good.

"Looks like my kitty likes to be scratched behind his ears," she whispered with a hint of teasing in her love-filled voice. Riku tried to glare at her, but when her other hand joined the first and together they moved down his neck to the base at his shoulders, he couldn't help but close his eyes and tilt his head back. Waves of contentment washed over him as she continued to work the knots away, and a low sound of pleasure rumbled up from his throat before he could stop it. He grimaced at the sound, but she laughed quietly. "It's okay. I like it when my kitty purrs for me."

A weight settled onto his legs, and Riku opened his eyes to see that she had sat down on him. He smiled. "If I'm your cat, shouldn't I be the one to sit on your lap?"

"As if an independent Tom like you would deign to cuddle with me," Yuko replied with an indignant toss of her head. The evil smile returned, and she trailed a finger around from behind his neck to the front, running it lightly over his skin. "I'll undoubtedly have to get you a collar. With a bell, maybe, to warn all the pretty little birds you'll be itching to devour."

Her touch was sending hot shocks into his stomach, and muscles she had loosened were beginning to tense again, although for a much more enjoyable reason. Fixing his gaze on that smile that continued to taunt him, he let his own lips curl into a very predatory, very feline grin. Leaning a bit closer to her, he commented, "I'm only interested in one pretty little bird at the moment."

She laughed, and as she finished, her tongue momentarily darted out of her mouth to wet drying lips. Riku watched the little pink toy flash in and out of his sight, and then did what any self-respecting cat would do in the situation.

He pounced.

End

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A/N: Heeheehee, can't you just _see_ Riku doing the pre-pounce butt wiggle? I know I can. (falls off her chair laughing)

Next chapter:

Red and Black: Vincent and Reno attempt to "bond" as a favor to their girlfriends.


	6. Red and Black

**After the Night**

_Time: Post-epilogue.  
Description: Vincent and Reno attempt to "bond" as a favor to their girlfriends._

* * *

**Red and Black**

Vincent looked at Reno. Reno looked at Vincent.

"So, um, you grew up with Zell, right?"

"Yes."

"Zell and I, we met during the Heartless invasion. Helped round up the survivors."

"I know."

"Oh yeah, and that's when I met Yuko. You grew up with her, too, right?"

The dark-haired young man did not even bother to answer this question, choosing instead to stare at the red-head with eyes that clearly expressed his distaste for small talk. Said red-head, who loved talk of all shapes and sizes, scratched his head and squirmed in his seat. The sheer awkwardness of the situation was killing him.

Stupid Cera and her insistence that he befriend this walking ice block. Just because she had hit it off with Luci, suddenly he was expected to get all chummy with the girl's boyfriend. Sure, he liked Luci, too -- she was sweet and polite and laughed at his jokes -- but Reno didn't understand why he had to endure this torture that Cera had called "male bonding" while she and Luci got to go off to the kitchen for some "girl talk".

Clearing his throat, Reno tried again. "Zell told me you were an aide to the President."

"Yes."

"That must have been exciting."

"Not particularly."

And just like that, the conversation died again. The ensuing silence could have made Even shiver and go looking for a sweater.

Vincent looked at Reno. Reno looked at Vincent.

Feminine laughter drifted out from the kitchen, and Reno had to fight the urge to jump up and run to Cera so that he could hide behind her and whimper about the scary man in the other room. Of course, his girlfriend would just laugh and shove him back into the fray … except she wasn't his girlfriend anymore. A small smile worked its way into Reno's lips, and his spirits lifted just slightly at the thought that Cera's finger now sparkled with a perfectly-chosen ring. That's right. She was his fiancée because he loved her. Loved her enough to marry her. _Certainly_ loved her enough to put up with one night of King Moody.

_I _will_ get him to say more than two words before the evening ends. I will!_

Vincent looked at Reno. Reno looked at Vincent.

_But how?_

Except for his crimson eyes, everything about the other young man was black. Black hair, black clothes, black boots … black gun holster? Reno took a closer look at the weapon that Vincent had strapped to his side. He had somehow managed to maneuver it so that it slipped between the seat and the armrest as he sat, but that made the butt of the gun stick out a bit, clearly displaying a little red diamond with white characters in the center.

"Is that the new Death Penalty model from A-Line Weapons? Yo, that's not even on the shelves yet!"

Vincent looked at Reno. Reno looked at Vincent's gun.

A bright grin exploded on the red-head's face as he accused, "You _stole_ that from the development building, didn't you?"

Vincent's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I was eliminating Heartless from Midgar," he explained in a low voice, tinged with annoyance. "Obtaining the best available weapon for myself was a prudent course of action."

Reno responded with a loud laugh. "I'm not upset at you, man. I wholeheartedly applaud any attempt to rip off my idiot father." He tilted his head thoughtfully and added, "In fact, I rather wish I had been with you. There are some explosives in there that I'd love to get my hands on."

Vincent snorted, and something resembling a smile appeared momentarily on his face. "Yes, I heard about your fascination with bombs. And how it nearly got Yuko killed."

"That wasn't my fault!" Reno insisted, emphasizing his words by smacking the arm of his chair. "The girl asked a question, and I answered it!"

"So I heard. Do you still have them?"

"Of course."

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"Nah, man," Reno waved his hand and leaned back with a smile, "I put an on/off switch on them. They're much safer now."

Vincent lifted an eyebrow in question. "An on/off switch?"

"Yeah. I'm not just handsome and charming. I'm also brilliant."

"And modest."

"That, too. But enough about me." Leaning forward eagerly, Reno fixed his bright blue eyes on the gun once more. "I want to know more about the DP. Does she reload as smoothly as the marketing department wants us to think? How is her aim? Got any recoil worth mentioning? What's her range?"

Vincent blinked several times under the onslaught of questions before slowly beginning to answer. He explained in technical terms and extreme detail the workings of the experimental gun, and Reno hungrily drank in every word. Vincent's comments sparked new questions, and the conversation between the two of them exploded.

Half an hour later, Cera decided to peek in on them to make sure they were doing all right. She walked in to find her fiancé leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together piteously and whining like a child.

"Pleeeeease? Just for a bit. I won't hurt it, I promise!"

With great reluctance, Vincent passed over his large rifle. "Just keep the safety on," he warned.

"What? You think I'd fire it off in my own apartment?"

"Well--"

"Don't answer that!"

Sighing, Cera turned to Luci, who had come up next to her, and asked, "Vincent likes things that go boom as well?"

Luci laughed. "Does he ever."

Cera shook her dark head and turned to go back to the kitchen. Under her breath, she said, "Tch. _Boys_."

End

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Next chapter: 

Proposal: Four little words that can change your life: Will you marry me?


	7. Proposal

**After the Night**

_Time: Post-epilogue.  
Description: Four little words that can change your life: Will you marry me?_  
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I don't have much free time right now, and what I do have is going to my _Death Note_ fic. But here's a quick story for my KH readers.

* * *

**Proposal**

Life, Sora had decided, was a funny thing. As the Keyblade Master, he had faced and defeated countless Heartless, most of the Organization, and other various and sundry bosses, each more difficult than the last. And yet, in spite of all this experience with danger and certain death, nothing scared him more than the small object inside an equally small box that currently rested in his pocket. His fingers slipped inside and touched the surface again. Yes, he was definitely terrified now.

A shout rang out from below him, and a blitzball suddenly appeared in the dirt at his feet. With a smile, he stood up from the paopu tree and wandered over to the ledge to look down.

"Hey, old guy!" a young face, streaked with sweat and sand, called up to him. "Can we have our ball back?"

"Absolutely not," Sora answered with a smirk. "I refuse to help brats who call me 'old'."

"But Sooooora," another young face whined, "you _are _old. You're _twenty_!"

Sora picked up the ball and began spinning it on his finger the way Wakka had taught him. "Hey, you're right," he joked. "I am. I guess I'll have to start looking for a walker and make sure I keep all my teeth." He stopped spinning the ball and examined it. "Perhaps I'll keep this as a memento of my rapidly-fading youth."

A chorus of whines erupted beneath him.

"Soooooooraaaaa!"

"Please give it back!"

"We're sorry, Sora!"

Laughing, Sora tossed the ball into the air, jumped up, and flipped, kicking the ball several feet down the beach. Most of the kids ran after it, laughing and screaming, but the eldest -- the one that reminded Sora most of Riku -- called out, "Thanks, Sora!" before following the rest.

Sora watched the new generation speed away. They were very similar to his generation. A small sigh welled up within him as he returned to the tree and sat back down.

_Sora, why are you sitting there? That's Riku's tree. … I know, but I felt like it. Maybe I'm guarding it or something for him. … Sora, you're such a goof. _

_Hey, Sora. Kairi tells me you've been guarding my tree. Well, you don't have to. That's my brooding tree, and I don't do that anymore. … You bet he doesn't. I beat it out of him. … Thanks, gorgeous. I love you, too. … Don't call me gorgeous, pretty boy! _

His fingers brushed against the box again. So much had changed. And yet some things, like this tree, remained the same. It was all so confusing sometimes. Growing up, watching things change. The fingers pushed past the box and curled around a crumpled piece of paper also in his pocket. It was confusing and frightening, and stupid Riku had just made it more so.

_Sorry, Sora, but I can't wait anymore. So if you want to do it together, you better hurry up and do your part soon._

Sora groaned to himself. Riku made it sound so easy. Well, to Riku it probably was easy. But to Sora … . It wasn't as if he were afraid she would turn him down. It was the act itself, what it represented, what it would lead to.

"Sora!"

She came running across the bridge, waving a letter in her hand. Sora's heart sank and rose simultaneously. She was so beautiful at nineteen with her long legs and her gently curving figure. And that sweet air of innocence that she possessed had not diminished in the slightest, making her seem even more angelic to him. However, that letter she held, he knew what was in it, and he dreaded it more than anything.

"Sora, I just got a letter from Yuko, and guess what?" She smiled brightly at him, completely unable to conceal her excitement. "Riku proposed to her! And she said yes! They're getting married, Sora. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, great," he answered dully.

Kairi was far too happy to notice, however, and she continued, "They're going to have the wedding here on Destiny Islands, and she wants me to be her maid of honor. She doesn't say as much, but I'm sure Riku will want you as his best man, too."

"No." The word came out before Sora could stop it. His eyes widened a little at what he had done, but now that it was out, he decided to keep moving forward. "No, he doesn't want that at all."

Kairi wrinkled her brow at him. At any other time, it would have made him smile. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Sora inhaled deeply. No turning back now. Tradition dictated he should get down on one knee, but that didn't feel right to him. Instead, he rose to his feet and gathered Kairi in his arms. He could feel her confusion in her tight shoulders and rigid back, but he ignored it for now and guided her head to his shoulder, laying his own down on her soft hair.

"Kairi," he said, "I love you." She began to reply that she loved him, too, but he cut her off. "I know in my heart that I love you and only you and I always will. So I don't understand why I'm so afraid. Maybe it's because I don't want to be a grown-up yet. I mean, we had to grow up so fast, you and Riku and I, but that doesn't mean we're 'grown-ups', you know? Maybe I'm afraid of taking that last step into adulthood. Or maybe it's the forever thing. But that's silly since I can't ever see us breaking up or growing apart anyway." He shrugged. "I just don't know."

In his arms, Kairi had gone very still. She understood where his ramblings were headed. He smiled down at her as she waited. She always made him feel so calm and secure. "Kairi," he whispered, lifting her chin with one hand so that he could look into her eyes, "the point of all this is that even though I'm scared, I still know that everything will be fine because I'll be with you. You're my light, yes, but you're also my courage and my peace. If I'm going to commit to be with anyone for the rest of my life, it's going to be with you."

Her eyes were swimming with unshed tears as he let go of her chin and dug his hand into his pocket. "Riku doesn't want me to be his best man, and you aren't going to be Yuko's maid of honor either. We both decided back when we bought these together that we want to make our girlfriends our wives at the same time, in the same ceremony. So, Kairi …" He brought the box out of his pocket and opened it for her. "… will you marry me?"

End

* * *

A/N: Don't kill me. You _know _what she said. 

And now that you've read this, go on over to ParisWriter's account and read "Wedding Bell Blues," the story of Reno and Cera's wedding in the NWME universe. She's a great writer and captured my world perfectly. (And she needs to update, so give her encouragement.)

Next chapter:

The First Time: Riku thought some things about girls were a given. Apparently, those rules don't apply to SeeDs.


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